Carrying handle for plate glass, panel door and the like



Sept 2, 1958 J. E. MULHERN CARRYING HANDLE FOR PLATE GLASS, PANEL DOOR AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 13, 1956 IN VEN TOR. JAMES E MULHEEN A TTORIVEX United States Patent CARRYING HANDLE FOR PLATE GLASS, PANEL DOOR AND THE LIKE James E. Mulhern, Middlebury, Conn.

Application August 13, 1956, Serial No. 603,651

7 Claims. (Cl. 294-86) My invention relates to devices for carrying large thin fiat objects, and is directed particularly to an adjustable handle which can be temporarily applied to the edge of plate glass, panel doors or the like for manually transporting them from one place to another.

Large thin planar objects, such as plate glass, panel or flush type doors and similar objects having smooth fiat surfaces are particularly cumbersome and difiicult for a single workman to move about. Since these objects are comparatively fragile, they must be handled with care. in the past, this necessitated either that two men carry the object, or that a sling carriage having straps or the like be applied about the object so that a single workman could pick it up vertically from a longitudinal edge.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide an improved carrying handle that can be quickly applied to the edge of a planar object of the character described without injuring it.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a carrying handle of the character described which is adjustable for use in carrying planar objects of a wide range in thickness.

It is still another object to provide a carrying handle of the character described which has side portions which grip against opposite sides of the thin object to be carried along the upper edge thereof, and which has a thumb actuated mechanism for holding the handle side portions in gripping relation with respect to the object while it is being carried.

Another object of my invention is to provide an adjustable handle of the character described, which is compact, simple in operation, inexpensive to manufacture, and safe and efiective in use.

Other objects and structural details of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming part of the application, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the carrying handle, embodying the invention, in use,

Fig. 2 is a top view of the handle, on a larger scale shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a side view of the same,

Fig. 4 is an end view thereof,

Fig. 5 is a top view of the panel-gripping mechanism alone, shown in an intermediate width setting and in open position for applying to a panel to be carried,

Fig. 6 is view similar to Fig. 5, showing the mechanism in closed, panel-gripping position.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 indicates the improved carrying handle for planar objects, in general, shown in Fig. l carrying a panel indicated by the letter P. The handle 10 is comprised of a pair of angleiron side-clamping members 11, 12 held in relatively parallel relation to each other by means of end links 13 and 14. The side clamp members 11, 12 are provided with outer we'bs 15 and 16 provided at their ends with centrally drilled bosses 17, said bosses preferably being welded against the underside of said webs 15 and 16.

The ends of the end links 13, 14 are drilled and countersunk to receive flat-head screws 18 which pass through openings in the end links 13, 14 and through the central openings in the bosses 17, the assembly being held together by nuts 19 screwed tightly upon the screws 18, said screws 18 being only partially threaded at their ends so as to allow free pivotal motion of the links 13, 14 with respect to the side clamp members 11, 12.

Pivotally mounted near one end of the web 15 of the side clamp member 11 by means of a nut and screw 20, is a bell crank lever 21 having an upwardly and inwardly bent control portion 22 and a short, inwardly-extending arm 23.

A clamping link 24 having a longitudinal slot 25 and a plurality of circular notches 26 communicating with said slot, is pivoted at one end to the end of the arm 23 by means of a nut 27 and screw 27a. The end link 13, near the portion where it connects with the side clamp 12, is provided with a threaded opening in which is fitted a slotted button head screw 28. The slot 25 of the clamping link 24 is entrained by the shank of the slot-headed screw 28, so that said link can be selectively adjusted for connection with any one of the circular notches 26, as will be later described.

Pivotally secured between the end links 13, 14 is an inverted U-shaped handle member 29, which may be of cast metal, for example. For the purpose of attachment of the handle member 29, the end links 13 and 14 are centrally drilled and countersunk to receive flat-head mounting screws 30 extending into drilled holes in said handle member, said drilled holes being only of such depth as will prevent binding between said handle member and said links. One end of the handle member 29 is formed with an outwardly-extending knob 31 to prevent slipping of the users hand.

The vertically-extending portions 32, 33 of the side clamp angleiron members 11, 12 are preferably lined with resilient gripping pads 34, 35 of rubber or rubber-like material.

Operation In use, the carrying handle will first be adjusted to the thickness of the panel P to be carried, by applying it to one edge thereof, preferably centrally along a longitudinal edge of the panel so that the side clamp mem- 'bers 11, 12 will be in substantial contact with opposite faces of the panel. The nearest circular notch 26 will then be moved into engagement with the shank of the button head screw 28, while the bell crank lever 21 is in the outwardly-extending, unlatched position shown in Fig. 5. The lever 21 will thereafter be moved inwardly to the clamping position, as illustrated in Fig. 6, whereupon, by virtue of the inwardly-extending arm 23 of said lever moving clockwise so as to pull downwardly on the clamping link 24, the side clamp members 11 and 12 will be constrained to move inwardly toward each other, to firmly clamp against the side portions of the panel P. The resiliency of the rubber gripping pads 34, 35 insures that the panel will not be damaged, and at the same time effects the necessary frictional contact needed for carrying heavy objects.

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate the improved handle in use, carrying a panel P of maximum width. As illustrated in Fig. l, the handle member 29 is so shaped and disposed relative to the bell-crank lever 21 that the control portion 22 thereof may conveniently be held inwardly by the thumb while carrying said panel, and readily pushed inwardly with the pressure required to insure that the panel will not slip out of the handle.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is understood that this disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only, and that various omissions, changes in' shape or proportion, and rearrangement of parts, as well as the substitution of equivalent elements for those herein shown and described, may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. Having thus 'fully described the invention, What is claimed as new and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent is:

1. In a carrying handle for plate glass, panels, and like objects, the combination comprising, a pair of side clamp members arranged in parallel relation to each other, adjustable means including a pair of parallel link members interconnecting said side clamp members operative for selectively setting the spacing between said side clamp members while maintaining their relatively parallel disposition, said side clamp members each having face to face side portions operative to frictionally engage side portions of a'panel to be carried, and selective means including an adjustable articulated linkage interconnecting said side clamp members for holding said side clamp interconnecting means in a selected setting of spacing with respect to said side clamp members.

2. The carrying handle as defined in claim 1, wherein one of said link members interconnects one end of each of said side clamp members, and the other interconnects the other end of each of said side clamp members.

3. The carrying handle as defined in claim 2, including a carrying handle connected between said end links.

4. In a carrying handle for plate glass, panels, and like objects, the combination comprising, a pair of parallel side clamp members, a pair of end link members, each interconnecting one end each of said clamp members to provide a parallel motion mechanism, said side clamp members each having face-to-face side portions operative to frictionally engage side portions of a panel to be carried, means comprising an adjustable articulated linkage interconnecting said side clamp members for adjustably controlling the spacing between said side clamp members, and a handle connected between said end link members,

5. A carrying handle defined in claim 4,"Wherein said spacing control means comprises a bell-crank centrally linked to one of said side clamp members, said bellcrank having a linking arm, a clamping link linked at one end to the end of said linking arm, a connecting pin secured to the other of said side clamp members, said clamping link having a longitudinal slot formed with a plurality of linearly spaced round openings in communication therewith, said slot and openings being entrained by said pin.

6. The carrying handle defined in claim 5 wherein said bell-crank further comprises a manually actuated control arm for turning said linking arm with respect to said one side clamp member. p

7. The carrying handle defined in claim 6 wherein said control arm is disposed alongside of said handle so as to be controllable by the thumb of a person engaging said handle with the palm of the hand.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 496,104 Svensson Apr. 25, 1903 733,855 Logue July 14, 1903 801,377 Hardesty Oct. 10, 1905 1,317,291 Heckman Sept. 30, 1919 2,515,666 Rice July 18, 1950 

